Streets of Coruscant
by Bria
Summary: Prequel Anakin Skywalker song-fic. Anakin leaves Padmé in order to follow Palpatine.


This story contains characters and situations from the Star Wars universe. I   
don't own Star Wars; it belongs to George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. No   
money is being earned and no infringement is intended. Please don't sue,   
because I'm just a poor college student and have no money.   
  
Distribute as you wish, with disclaimer intact, but please contact me before   
posting it on another web page. OK? I welcome any, and all constructive   
comments to me at: swbriatharen@yahoo.com :~)   
  
Story notes:  
  
The song used in this song-fic is Streets of Philadelphia by Bruce   
Springsteen. It was written for the movie Philadelphia. The song  
belongs to those entities, not to me.   
  
**********************  
  
**Streets of Coruscant **  
by Bria  
March 17, 2003   
_  
_ _  
I was bruised and battered_  
_I couldn't tell what I felt_  
_I was unrecognizable to myself_  
_I saw my reflection in a window_  
_I didn't know my own face_  
_Oh brother are you gonna leave me wastin` away_  
_On the streets of Coruscant_  
**  
** Anakin Skywalker hurried through the streets of Coruscant. He had to   
get away. From the crowds, from the Jedi, from _her_.  
  
Padmé...   
  
With a heavy heart, Anakin had realized he had had to made a choice he   
never wanted to make. He'd left his beloved behind. She, along with the   
Jedi, had been slowing him down, and the path before him required that   
he take action.   
  
He passed a storefront window, and it took him a moment to recognize   
his own face. He was changing. His face not quite so open, his emotions   
much more controlled. Why had it come to this?   
  
How had the galaxy spun so out of control? When had the government   
become so irrelevant? Someone had to assert total power. Although his   
heart had wished otherwise, he had seen he could no longer support   
Padmé's and the Republic's goal. Peace was a noble goal, but   
sometimes action was required. Had she not said the same thing herself,  
all those years ago on Naboo?   
  
  
_I walked the avenue 'til my legs felt like stone   
__I heard he voices of friends vanished and gone   
At night I could hear the blood in my veins   
Black and whispering as the rain   
On the streets of Coruscant _  
  
  
On and on Anakin walked. Farther and farther he descended into the   
depths of Coruscant. A normal person would've stopped for a rest by   
now. However, as the so called "Chosen One," he was far from normal.   
Despite his personal feels about the so-called prophecy, he knew that   
much was true.   
  
As he walked, his mind went back in time. With just a thought, he was   
back on Tatooine, holding onto his mother as she died in his arms. He   
had failed then. Due to his weakness, she had suffered, and he had   
allowed her to die.   
  
In a flash of inisight, Anakin realized that the situation was much the same   
with the Republic. Star system after star system left; battle after battle was   
fought, and for what?   
  
The Republic had failed. More imporatantly though, at least to Anakin, was   
that the Jedi had failed. They were the defenders of the Republic and keepers   
of the peace. But now all they were defending was a corrupt government run   
by people interested in their own self promotion. He refused to be a part of   
that any longer.   
  
  
_Ain't no angel gonna greet me _  
_It's just you and I my friend _  
_My clothes don't fit me no more _  
_I walked a thousand miles _  
_Just to slip this skin _  
  
  
A sense of irony filled Anakin as he realized how right he had been on that   
Naboo picnic. He and his angel had snacked and talked. When the   
discussion came to politics, he'd decided to flirt with her.   
  
_"That sounds an awful lot like a dictatorship to me." _  
_  
"Well, if it works..."_  
  
  
He'd had no idea. He'd been unable to see how ironic that very  
conversation was. Only now, in hindsight, could he see that.   
  
What Padmé had said had been true. The government was about bringing   
people together and them discuss what was in the best interests of all the   
people in the galaxy. That was the role of the Republic. It just didn't work   
any longer. Palpatine did all he could but by law was held back enough it   
prevented him to successfully hold the Republic together and rule it.   
  
The cost of following Palpatine though was the loss of his angel. The very   
thought broke his heart.   
  
  
_The night has fallen I'm lyin awake  
I can feel myself fading away  
So receive me brother with your faithless kiss  
Or will we leave each other alone like this  
On the streets of Coruscant_  
  
  
Finally, Anakin reached his destination. It was an ordinary enough location.   
There were no outwardly appearances to suggest it wasn't like the rest of   
the apartments and establishments in Coruscant's seedy underbelly. Through   
the Force though, he could feel the power that radiated from that room.   
Palpatine was in there.   
  
As the door opened, Anakin took one last glance behind himself. He knew   
one chapter in his life was finished. There was no turning back now.   
**  
The End. **  
  



End file.
